You don't have to try (I love you the way you are)
by TheAsterousAuthor
Summary: She's so ugly. Blood that'll never truly wash off stains her hands. She can't let him near her dirtiness, no matter how much it kills her to leave. - Roy/Artemis because I love them. Inspired by the song "Try" by Colbie Caillat and contains what might pass for angst.


**So, this is Longshot (Roy/Artemis). Obviously, it's not the most popular ship, but I adore it so I don't really care.**

**I was listening to "Try" by Colbie Caillat when I just thought of Artemis and Roy and angst, and this was born. I hope you liiike!**

**Also, this will contain some things that could most definitely be interpreted as AU.**

**For example, Artemis being part of the League of Assassins.**

**Like, that's a post-season-2-finale-you-know-it-could-happen-don't-deny-it-it's-obvious-and-completely-possible sort of thing.**

**So you can just make whatever assumptions you will pertaining the timeline.**

****Disclaimer - Disclaimed.****

****Rated T for angst, I guess.****

**FIC TIME.**

* * *

The night's clear, not a cloud in the sky. The moon is but a sliver among the glimmering stars. The city is utterly silent except for the occasional honk of a horn and the sound of a siren in the distance.

Artemis stalks the man, slinking through the shadows. She follows him without a sound, watching slip down an alley. The perfect place to strike.

She slides down the narrow dead end after him, footsteps silent and unnoticeable. The man, somehow sensing her presence, looks over his shoulder anxiously and speeds up. Artemis frowns to herself and comes closer. She moves to stand directly behind him, her shadow stretching across the pavement making him whip around.

Artemis, face void of emotion, thrusts a dagger into his chest.

"The League sends its complements," she says, voice echoing slightly on the cobblestone walls of the alley.

The man's body falls to the ground silently as she slides the knife out smoothly. Without making a sound, she vanishes into the night, leaving the man's blood body far behind.

* * *

Gasping, Artemis sits up in her bed, awake. She leans her head against the wall and pulls the blanket over her knees.

The moon shines in through the window, illuminating the room lightly. It's empty except for the simplest of furniture; a dresser, a bed, a nightstand.

Artemis looks down at her hands. They shake uncontrollably as she closes them into fists and tears slip down her face.

There's blood on her hands, and nothing can ever erase the things she's done.

Slipping out of the bed, she quickly and silently packs up all of her things in a bag. She can't stay. Not any longer. The nightmares—no, they're her _memories_—are only growing worse. She can't take it anymore. No matter how much he loves her.

Perching on the fire escape, Artemis sends one last look, filled with love and mourning, to the redhead man asleep in the bed before slipping off into the city of horrors, where she belongs, with the dirt and the criminals.

* * *

Sunlight filters in through the window, splashing onto Roy's face. He scrunches his eyes and sits up, yawning. Squinting, he reaches over to the other side of the bed for her. Feeling nothing, he begins to worry, nervous butterflies fluttering in his stomach.

"Artemis?" he calls, pushing the covers off and slipping out of the bed. "Artemis?! Where are you?"

No answer. Only silence.

"Artemis," he whispers, moving to the window he knows she left through.

She's long gone, now, but he'll look for her anyways.

He'll look for her forever if that's what it'll take.

* * *

She misses him.

Artemis misses him so hard she can't even breathe.

Dick brings her news of him sometimes. Tells her how he's doing. How he's coping.

And each time before he leaves he tells her that Roy's killing himself trying to find her.

She wants _so badly_ to hold him in her arms, just see him even, but she can't. She is dirty, unclean, something he should never know. Something he deserves to never experience.

Her darkness undeniably is ugly. His light is absolutely beautiful.

She can't taint him with the blood that covers her impure soul.

She just can't.

* * *

He's stopped taking care of himself. Nothing matters but finding her.

Roy just can't imagine a world without Artemis beside him. It's just not a possibility.

He's closed off, now. He doesn't talk to anyone unless they have news on where she is. They never do, but he won't stop looking.

He won't stop looking, and it's killing him.

But he'll never stop. Not until she's safe in his arms.

* * *

She sits in their apartment, the little three room place they had been so excited to find.

Artemis waits for him to walk in the door.

She knows he will. Dick told her so.

Dick said that if she didn't go to see him soon, Roy would be dead before she had another chance.

More like Artemis would be dead.

Roy would have moved on, if he ever had loved her at all.

She doesn't blame him if he hadn't.

As if anyone could ever love someone so ugly.

* * *

He stumbles in through the door, another exhausting day of searching unsuccessful.

But Artemis is there, sitting on the bed she left him alone in.

He rushes over to her, to hug her, to kiss her, to make sure she's even real.

But she scoots away.

"You're killing yourself." she says. "Stop. I'm not worth it."

He moves closer. "You're worth _everything_."

"No, you can't think that." she denies, shaking her head.

"Why not? You, _you_, are the one thing that keeps me sane. I'd give _anything_ to have you back."

"You can't." she whispers, curling up and tucking her legs in against her chest. "You can't. I'm poison, I'm dirt, I'm _death_. You can't."

"I can, and I _will_." he answers, pulling her into his arms.

"I'm ugly. I'm ugly and worthless and an absolute waste of your time." she whispers, voice cracking as tears trickle down her cheeks.

"You're not ugly. You are so, _so_, beautiful." he whispers fiercely. "And I'll never stop loving you."

* * *

**So.**

**Yeah.**

**That was angsty.**

**And sad.**

**And dramatic.**

**And totally OOC for Artemis, BUT WHATEVER IT'S MY STORY PEOPLE LIVE WITH IT!**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! Please review and tell me what you thought! :D**


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